Lord, Bless Our Children

Paul makes it very clear in his writings that relationship is the basis of society and we have a responsibility, one to another. In Colossians 3 Paul again emphasise the importance of family relationships. Children learn by observation (Muscari 1999:89), fathers must therefore treat everyone with LOVE, TRUTH and RESPECT! Mothers must therefore treat their husbands with respect, building and admonishing them and never breaking them down – especially in-front of the children.

Proverbs 22:6 reads “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Psalms 25:10 reads “All the ways of the Lord is mercy and truth, to such who keep His covenant and testimonies”. We are bound by a covenant of love and sacrifice with Jesus Christ as our example. Thus to walk in the ways of the Lord sometimes demands sacrifices and this includes the way we treat and teach our children. Mercy and truth should thus be the foundation of our daily conduct. Our lives should also be filled with testimonies of God’s involvement in our daily lives. The ‘why’ and ‘how’ of our daily conduct and testimonies should be explained in simple terms to our children. “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10). By doing this we keep God’s covenant and testimonies and lay the foundation for our children’s relationships with the Lord.

Hear the word of the LORD, sons of Israel. For the LORD has a charge against the people of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
There is lying, and swearing, and killing, and stealing, and the committing of adultery; and blood touches blood. Therefore the land shall mourn, and everyone who dwells in it shall droop, with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the heavens. Yes, the fish of the sea shall also be taken away. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another. For your people are as those who strive with the priest. And you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night, and I will cut off your mother.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest to Me. You have forgotten the teachings of your God, so I will forget your children.
(Hosea 4:1-6).

This happens when God’s covenant and testimonies are not kept. Here we also read that God’s people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge not having a healthy relationship with God nor one another. Thus the moral of society is based on the growth and development of each person’s personal relationships with the Lord.

You have the responsibility to train and teach your children. This responsibility is not that of the school or teachers but is the parents’. You have to establish the boundaries of your child’s life and make sure that you explain the detail of each boundary to your child, including the punishment when ever it is oversteped.

As a parent you may suggest important facets of training and teaching to the school or teachers. Also to other institutions like Sunday school or children’s church at your church. (I also suggest Heart for the children’s curriculum for social skills and Sunday school).